Topic: Terrorist Content Online

Harmful content has always been a necessary evil when engaging directly with consumers. For most brands, it used to be like cosmic radiation from the sun; always there, spiking periodically, but not terribly hazardous at low doses. Then 2020 exploded, releasing Chernobyl-type levels of contamination that have decimated the growth strategies of social media managers.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Or...will they?

If you’re not looking for it, you may never see one red laser dot trained on your brand, but of course, you would notice 10 million of those dots. By then, though, it’s likely too late to avoid harm from an orchestrated, grassroots attempt to take down your brand.

Think about who poses a credible threat to your brand. Did you include web-savvy bigots, soft-brained conspiracists, and grifters or opportunists affiliated with the alt-right?

The latest moment of truth for brands on social media has intensified around financial service companies, with consumers threatening to cancel their cards, after Tuesday night’s U.S. presidential debate.